@mistake - I do not know of any college or university in the US that specifically requires 4 years of high school or high school graduation. There may be some out there. All of the places that I know of are happy to admit younger students who that college/university believes to be college-ready. Even places like MIT do indeed occasionally admit younger students. This means that you do have a lot of options that you can include on your list. You just need to make certain that you have a couple of safeties that you would be happy with if other things don’t work out the way you’d like.
What is your immigration status? Do you have your green card or citizenship yet? If not, you will be an international applicant and that changes all of the advice.
What do you know about how your family expects you to pay for your education? Have they run any of the Net Price Calculators at the websites of the colleges and universities on your current list? If money is tight, finishing your AA/AS with running start and then moving on to a home-state public U might be the most affordable decent option. For specific merit-aid and need-based aid advice, spend some time in the Financial Aid forum.
@2plustrio I’d say you’re definitely being generous lmao.
@Southoftheriver I’m not actively coming up with reasons why something wouldn’t work lol. I mainly listed those things to provide context; I tutor, volunteer, and am currently in the process of trying to secure a research mentor. Yes, community impact is very vital for a lot of colleges, and I definitely have room to grow in that direction. I am involved, just not as much as I could/want to be.
@Conformist1688 There are a lot of classes outside my major that I’d be ecstatic to take (for example I adore history, religion, politics, economics, and philosophy), but most of them aren’t art classes, which is what my earlier comment was aimed at.
@CottonTales Lol we love the recommended=required thing. I actually have talked to a few colleges, most of which didn’t care that I placed out of languages. Some people who I know also placed out ended up going to Stanford.
@happymomof1 Yeah I’ve never seen a college require 4 years of high school, and not just 4 credits of a subject. My college list is pretty set, with about 6 safeties+matches so that’s not a major issue. I’m currently a green card holder, aka domestic applicant. My father is planning on helping me pay tuition, since we don’t qualify for need based aid (only child living with a single parent here), and we know our EFC.
MANY kids are going to have to change their ECs. There may be no more choir at church or high school. No musicals, no marching band, some athletics cut. Now is the time to be creative about ECs. What can you do online?
A friend is the HR director for a group of nursing homes. She has been hiring people to help residents with their new need for technology. Set up Zoom, laptops, electronics now needed because residents can’t have visitors. She loves to consider new ideas and appreciates help with troubleshooting.
I think the ECs that might stand out in the coming years are ones that are done despite the limitations.
@twoinanddone Oh yeah I 10000% agree with that. Currently “working” (not paid) on two projects, which will add up to ~120-160 hours once I’m done. ECs are a finicky issue right now; starting next week, I’m planning on hyper focusing on coming up with more things to do lol. I’m in the brainstorming stage right now, but that’s better than nothing. (And now just to find a way to utilize my only talent, which is researching and processing info in an attempt to form a cohesive argument/plan/whatever and figure out a way to make it unique ?)
Elite colleges expect students to take the initiative. Students who wait for someone to tell them what to do aren’t displaying the kind of stretch those colleges expect. But local resources matter. What state are you in? Some areas have a lot more opportunities than others. Colleges take things like that into account.
The foreign language issue is tricky. What high schools allow and what colleges will accept can be very different. Did the college staff who told you they don’t care if you placed out of foreign language put it in writing? Are they people with the authority to waive the 4 years of foreign language requirement?
If you live in a single parent household Net Price Calculators may not be accurate for you. Where’s your mom? Is she willing/able to contribute to your education?
How many colleges are within commuting distance? If you’re a freshman you haven’t exhausted all of their courses yet. You don’t “have to” graduate a year early, so don’t expect colleges to lower their admission standards for you.
Years ago I had the good fortune of being able to attend the award ceremonies for the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. https://spirit.prudential.com/
This program showcases the volunteer efforts of kids across the country, and I was struck by two things in particular, 1) that there was a common thread among them all that they had simply identified a need within their community and worked hard to meet it, and 2) that college admissions results among this group was truly impressive. At one lunch event I was seated with four students, of which two were headed to Cornell and one to Princeton.
I’d suggest you go to the website I linked above and see what others have done.
If you were to devote significant effort to addressing a need in your community over the next three years, I’m sure colleges would take notice.
“It appears you could be a one trick pony. Brilliant but not otherwise all that interesting.”
That’s a little harsh for anybody, much less a freshman. Any thread about graduating early just oozes judgement.
“MIT recommends 2 years, but most elite schools say 3, some 4. And the general rule of thumb, reccomended means required.”
STEM would be the one place where you could have some latitude on foreign languages, but it would still mean 3 years. Kids have gotten into places like MIT without a fourth year, but it usually means the student replaced the f/l with another science, math or CS.
Of all the hyper-competitive schools that are discussed on this site, MIT is one of the most likely to take a kid who doesn’t tick all the usual boxes. OP seems to have more than one mother tongue, so really FL is not likely to be what determines whether MIT says yes or no.
Yes, he does come across as a little full of himself- but 1) not without some justification and 2) he is 13/14!
OP, from your posts you aren’t ever going to be an inside-the-lines kind of applicant. So, apply yourself to identifying things that will help you mature across more than just academics. Perhaps things that will show that you can work with a team, that you can earn the trust and respect of peers and adults. There is no human who doesn’t have areas that need to be strengthened, and no 13/14 year old who is fully mature. Think about what those areas are for you and think about ways to grow in those areas. If you need input, ask your parents / other adults who know you well.
Hmm, EC’s don’t have to be related at all to school. When my kids applied to boarding schools, they already had a ton of EC’s ( some school related, but mostly not). A person who is involved in their community, a sport, fine art/music/musical theater, etc will have lots of write about.
Is there something you are interested in and want to spend time doing? That’s a good potential EC. Also, having stellar stats and tons of AP classes isn’t always the draw that some think. There are many kids who do amazing things and have amazing stats.
@theloniusmonk Lmao don’t worry - that wasn’t at all harsh to hear. (Although I’d never call myself brilliant since I’m the definition of mediocrity)
@collegemom3717 Nice to know that I can come off as full of myself on paper! I’ll definitely make sure that doesn’t happen on my college essays, which I never considered could be a problem since I’m very self deprecating irl. (Reminds me of the quote that we judge ourselves based on our thoughts and others based on their actions) Even my friends usually tell me to cut it with the self hate ■■■■■. Now, I should mention that I’m 15 and currently working as a part of a team on 2 major projects, but it doesn’t feel like enough. (On a semi-personal note: it never feels like I’m working enough, even when I end up finishing work 2 weeks of
@Happytimes2001 I’m not too worried about my essays, mainly because I actually do things outside of school: a few clubs, volunteer both as a tutor and am helping organize a few things; I also do a “sport” about 4 days a week. The sport is a hobby, and an obvious downgrade from when I was younger, but I made my choices long ago. (Used to be a competitive dancer, then ended up a high level competitive gymnast; while I was one of those kids who everyone thought would end up an elite gymnast, I quit beforehand)
Random note: I find it extremely amusing that people assume I’m a “smart” “goodie two shoes” on forums like these cause none of my friends would ever describe me that way ?
@theloniusmonk Lmao don’t worry - that wasn’t at all harsh to hear. (Although I’d never call myself brilliant since I’m the definition of mediocrity)
@collegemom3717 Nice to know that I can come off as full of myself on paper! I’ll definitely make sure that doesn’t happen on my college essays, which I never considered could be a problem since I’m very self deprecating irl. (Reminds me of the quote that we judge ourselves based on our thoughts and others based on their actions) Even my friends usually tell me to cut it with the self hate ■■■■■. Now, I should mention that I’m 15 and currently working as a part of a team on 2 major projects, but it doesn’t feel like enough. (On a semi-personal note: it never feels like I’m working enough, even when I end up finishing work 2 weeks of
@Happytimes2001 I’m not too worried about my essays, mainly because I actually do things outside of school: a few clubs, volunteer both as a tutor and am helping organize a few things; I also do a “sport” about 4 days a week. The sport is a hobby, and an obvious downgrade from when I was younger, but I made my choices long ago. (Used to be a competitive dancer, then ended up a high level competitive gymnast; while I was one of those kids who everyone thought would end up an elite gymnast, I quit beforehand)
Random note: I find it extremely amusing that people assume I’m a “smart” “goodie two shoes” on forums like these; none of my friends would ever describe me that way ?
OP: Why do you think you have only now, 30 posts in, referenced two major projects in the works, a serious hobby and other interests? Your original question was about the strength of your ECs but none of this was included?
Are you somehow looking for validation from a larger anonymous group? You say this is an issue that your friends have noticed. It seems to me that this, not ECs, is your problem.
@Southoftheriver I mentioned them in my earlier replies, but I didn’t consider the projects that big of a deal because I’m one of MANY working on them and the only initiative I showed was applying and going through the long interview process. I never mentioned the hobby because it’s just that - a hobby. There really isn’t anything I can do with it (no competitions, outreach, or anything). I only know one other high schooler that’s involved with it and she recently moved to Germany to attend a specialized school and make it her career. To me, it’s just something I do that keeps me sane - at most, I could write an essay about it, but it’s not something I mention. Maybe it’s my skewed perception, but 4 days a week isn’t much. If I’m being honest, my only reason for posting was to hear people’s advice on fleshing out my ECs, and maybe some new and interesting ideas. ?♀️ If this was about validation, I’d go to my friends since I care about their opinion more, but I’m literally only looking for advice.